I have a boat being transported next week from western mass to southern maine. The boat has been sitting on stands for close to 15 years. To the naked eye, the hull looks amazing. Being new to this sailboat fiberglass world (i'm a shipboard welder, USCG) i did allot of reading and stopped at local boat yards to look at other folks hulls. My hull seems very tight and in great shape, but obviously needs recoating...anyhow, with the boat being on stands for so long, are there any issues i should be expecting?

I would wonder how rain water was kept out of the bilge. How does it look. Best way to store a boat long term is to drill a drain hole into the bilge to get rid of any water that finds its way in over time. If that wasn't done I would want to inspect the bilge for freeze cracks and keel bolts carefully.

Was the rig up? Were the stands on pavement or dirt? What kind of boat? Some builders make hulls that are somewhat flexible and could be distorted a bit.

Check engine alignment and packing.

I would do a close survey of chain plates as well as everything else. A working boat in the water tells you a lot. A boat sitting for a long time is a question mark. Might be fine but needs to be closely checked out.

If the boat was set properly with the stands, there should be no issues caused by them. The weight of the hull rests on the keel and the stands are pretty much there just to balance the boat.

Are you launching the boat or just moving it over road? Trucking should pose few problems. The Islander 32 is a pretty tough boat.

I would check all thru hull fittings. Make sure they seal properly and also have wooden plugs on hand when you launch. Have the yard drop the boat in the water but keep it in the slings until you have determined there are no leaks.

As for the truck transport, the only advice I can give is insure all hatches are tightly secured. If there's anyway the forward hatch could work loose and open up with all the road vibration, secure it better. (If it opens on the forward side) A friend of mine lost his forward hatch that way, the hatch came open and tore off in the wind.

Yeah, i am curious on all the forces on on the keel and stands, and hows that affects (effects? all confuse the two) the boat itself. I aquried the boat for zilch, long story in which i will post pics and a thread when i officially get it up here.

I don't think you'll see problems from the storage itself - boats are fine on stands. But you'll see plenty of problems from the neglect 15 years on land indicates.

Learn about deck core issues - they are one of the largest problems on fiberglass boats. Fiberglass is essentially impervious to its environment - but the wood used in fiberglass boat construction is not. Good luck. Post pictures.

Congrats on the Islander. Had one myself. Good solid boat. +1 for MedSailor suggestions especially the rubber shaft hose. Rubber gets brittle over time and also with freeze/thaw cycles like in western Mass. Check to ake sure all thru hulls are operative and in good working order before dropping in the water..

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